


Shorts

by softestlad



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Body Image, Couch Cuddles, Fluff, M/M, Romantic Fluff, the best sex life in the village
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2019-06-26
Packaged: 2020-05-20 02:45:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19368421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/softestlad/pseuds/softestlad
Summary: Aaron wears shorts for the five a side game and Robert has both feelings and Feelings about it.Set after Tuesday 25/6/19





	Shorts

**Author's Note:**

> I'm ignoring (heartbroken) Ryan's exit (deliberate attack on my person) in favour of focusing on Aaron getting his little leggies out yesterday (keep me afloat my son)

Aaron was talking. He’d been talking for a while now, but if Robert had heard him his brain had long since redirected its resources away from sound and straight to visuals. Because Aaron was wearing his shorts. As promised.

“You’ve not heard a thing I’ve said, have you?” Robert looked up, distractedly, as Aaron brought over their cups of tea. Robert had been watching him move around the kitchen, filling the kettle, switching it on, grabbing the milk from the fridge – all with his back to Robert, and his bare legs on display.

“Course I have,” Robert sniffed. “You’re talking about the – scrapyard.”

“The scrapyard?” Aaron quirked an eyebrow.

“Liv?” Robert tried again. Aaron smirked. “Paddy? Paddy’s goal? Paddy’s _own_ goal?”

Aaron hissed, then made a sound like a quiz show buzzer. “Wrong, wrong, wrong,” he said as they settled on the couch, Robert sitting up straight while Aaron dithered a bit, putting their mugs down on the coffee table. Robert smiled at the way Aaron pronounced the word, the hard G. _Wron-guh._ “Don’t matter though,” he said, finally sitting down next to Robert. “Reckon I know where your head’s at anyway.”

With that, Aaron tossed his legs up across Robert’s lap, bent at the knee so he could curl around Robert’s own legs a bit without fully having to sit in his lap. Reflexively, Robert’s hands came up to rest on them, one broad palm clasped around his husband’s calf, the other spidered over his knee and edging onto his thigh.

“Am I so predictable?” Robert brushed his thumb along the dip of Aaron’s shin bone. Aaron just leaned forward for a kiss, not needing to answer. They both knew he was. The whole village knew he was. It was funny, considering the way they started, how hard Robert had fought to protect his secret. Now he couldn’t keep how much he loved his husband secret if his life depended on it, how much he wanted him, all the time.

Running his hands up Aaron’s legs, squeezing his strong thigh, feeling his skin heat up under Robert’s touch, Robert sank into a numberless kiss, Aaron licking behind his teeth, flicking his tongue at Robert’s. He got like this after exercise sometimes. Playful and teasing. Light heart and fleeting touch.

“I’m proud of you,” Robert said, into Aaron’s neck. Aaron pulled back.

“Eh?” Aaron scratched his beard. “Didn’t even score.”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Robert smirked, brushing his hand suggestively over Aaron’s crotch, the soft material of the shorts hiding nothing. “But I wasn’t talking about the match.” Robert nodded down at Aaron’s legs. “I meant that.”

Robert thought of Aaron sitting in the middle of the pub for everyone to see, bare legs dangling and swinging like a little kid’s.

“What?”

“You took your leggings off,” Robert clarified. Aaron shrugged, but the flaming blush that blotched across his cheeks did nothing for his show of nonchalance.

“It was warm, weren’t it?” Aaron said, gruff around the edges. “Some of us were running around, not just standing in the net like lemons.”

“Aaron,” Robert squeezed his husband’s thigh again, feeling a nerve twitch against his hand. He hoped it was reassuring, hoped Aaron knew Robert wouldn’t tease him about this. “I know it’s hard for you with your scars sometimes and that it feels safer to keep everything covered up. So if you don’t think I noticed that you faced that today – “

“Christ Robert I wore shorts, I didn’t storm fucking Normandy.”

“I know, I’m. I’m not trying to make you self conscious, that’s the last thing I’m trying to do.” Robert huffed a little, running his hand through his hair, his unbuttoned shirt sleeve slipping down his forearm and dangling loose. After a moment’s pause, he glided his fingers up the full length of Aaron’s legs again, and when he reached the top, curled just so on the inner thigh so he could slip his fingertips under the hem. He listened out for Aaron’s small intake of breath, still hidden under a scowl, but felt the tension leech from Aaron’s thighs as he spoke again. “You know I want you. You’re the one who pointed it out – so thoughtfully by the way, in front of my in laws – but apart from that, this is what marriage is meant to be, isn’t it? Little things adding up? Okay, you wearing shorts isn’t storming Normandy, but it’s a little thing that reminds me of why I love you so much.”

Aaron’s face started to open up again, and Robert felt him shuffle minutely closer.

“Because you’re brave,” Robert said, sliding his hand further up Aaron’s shorts, feeling it deep in his stomach when Aaron skimmed his own arm along the back of the couch, gripping the back of Robert’s neck where his hairline met skin. “Ah – so just let me say I’m proud of you, you mardy arse, for showing a little skin.”

Aaron snorted and shook his head, shoulders bouncing where he couldn’t hold in a proper laugh. Robert smiled back.

“ _Showing a little skin?_ Really Robert?”

“What?” Robert laughed, and the sparkle of fun returned to Aaron’s eyes.

“Nothing.” Aaron kissed him like he couldn’t decide between it and rolling his eyes. Robert preferred this option. “You’ll be telling me I’m the bees knees next.”

“You are the bees knees,” Robert said, tickling along Aaron’s ribs just enough to make him wriggle. “And the cats pyjamas, and – where are you going?”

Aaron had stood up from the couch abruptly, a rush of unwelcome cool air washing over Robert. Aaron kept moving away from him – towards the door.

“You said you’re proud of me for showing a little skin, so what I’m hearing is,” Aaron peeled off his socks, wiggled his toes. “Streak through the village.”

Robert’s mouth dropped at the suggestion, then noticed the sly tilt to Aaron’s lips. Robert closed the gap between them in a few strides, pressing Aaron up against the staircase. He crashed their mouths together, fierce, imagining Aaron’s strong legs pumping as he ran through the village, the high flush on his chest that he often got when they were fucking rising up. He hoarded it close, hiding it somewhere under Aaron’s tongue for safe keeping, somewhere only he could get to it.

“Don’t you dare,” he said, panting against Aaron’s mouth before pulling back. Aaron met his eye, still alight with a contagious brand of mischief.

“Why not? Thought you’d be proud. Can’t show more skin than that, can I? Though we should probably warn Pearl to stay inside first, she’s gettin’ on a bit for that much excitement.”

“Won’t be a problem,” Robert breathed, nipping at Aaron’s bottom lip.

“Why’s that, eh?”

“Because this,” Robert said, grabbing the bottom of Aaron’s tshirt and all but tearing it up and over his head, tossing it somewhere behind him. “This is for my eyes only,” he said, spreading his hands wide over Aaron’s chest, coming to rest on either side of his neck. It was a wonder the two of them didn’t burst into flame, explode, but Robert put it down to them not being able to decide which one of them was the match and which was the gunpowder.

“This is all mine,” Robert crushed his body along Aaron’s, pressing him harder into the stairs, nowhere to go but into Robert’s mouth, Robert’s arms, inside Robert’s heartbeat where he kept it steady. Until he slipped away.

When Robert came out of his daze, Aaron was already a few steps up the stairs. He grinned at Robert, light and free and tantalising. “Come on then,” he demanded, then, with a coy glance down, took hold of his waistband and pushed it down, stepping out of his shorts. It was just bare skin and the tick tick boom of promise between them. “Prove it,” he said.

Robert watched the entire time Aaron walked up the stairs, until the very last flash of pale thigh disappeared from view. Robert raced to follow, unbuttoning his shirt as he went, wondering if he should sponsor another football team.


End file.
